ElizabethDanes

Danes, Elizabeth ALBANY Elizabeth "Lisa" G. Danes of New York City passed away Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at her family home in Albany. Born October 14, 1968, she was the daughter of George C. Danes (Sophia Socaris) and Margaret Lazarou Danes of Albany. She is survived by her brothers, Stratton (Elizabeth), Christopher (Jessica); adored nieces and nephews, Alexander Scavo, Emma Carolyn Danes, George Stratton Danes, George Joseph Danes, William Christopher Danes, and Charlotte Rose Danes; aunts and uncles, Mary and James Sokaris and John and Betty Lazarou and many cherished cousins. She was a loving godmother to Elizabeth Jane (BJ) Lazarou, George Stratton Danes, Charlotte Danes, Zephyros Shah, and Massimo and Alessandro Lecavalier. Elizabeth was a graduate of Shaker High School, class of 1986. She graduated cum laude with a B.S. in international politics from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1990. She went on to receive a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship to study at the University of Strasbourg in France, and earned a M.S. in economics at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. She began her career at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London where her team traveled to and served as consultants for start-up companies in Russia and Eastern Europe. She then progressed to Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, was a principal at Capital Z Investment Partners, and a partner in MVision Private Equity Advisers in London and New York. In 2011 she started her own investment company, Urbane Point. She was a highly experienced alternative investment professional with a strong background in private equity and hedge fund investing. Elizabeth's love, curiosity and passion for new technology, innovation, and venture capital was a constant throughout her life and she was known among her peers for her generosity with her time, expertise, and willingness to mentor entrepreneurs and start-ups. Lisa's networking abilities were legendary. She was deeply respected for her ability to make true friends across the globe and keep these relationships deep, fresh and mutually enriching. When these friends met, they often discovered an immediate affinity as if Elizabeth had hand-picked them and created a special circle with herself as the point in common. Many of her friends and peers speak of her as a catalyst for love, friendship and relationships. Her kindness, her love of life, and her sense of beauty and excellence managed to have a positive impact on many lives. Elizabeth had a deep love for family and for the many friends whom she "adopted," mentored, and cared for. She had an incredible generosity and derived great pleasure from giving elaborate, thoughtful gifts. Friends remember her as a teacher who nurtured and celebrated the successes of those around her and encouraged them to make the most of their lives. She was passionate about hiking, yoga, pilates, nutrition, spiritual disciplines, and her dog, Mandala. As a child her family, teachers, and friends recognized Elizabeth's remarkable potential. She was aggressive, determined and competitive, yet all who knew her describe her as having the biggest heart and the most courage of anyone they have ever known, especially during her decade-long encounter with cancer. When Elizabeth was diagnosed with cancer, it met an unparalleled adversary. She managed and researched her condition with the same tenacity as she approached every area of her life. Friends said it was almost as if she were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She confronted her diagnosis head-on and met each new cancer challenge with defiance, seeking out new and experimental treatments in addition to the recommended protocol of treatment. "Every experience is a gift if you share it with others." Elizabeth did just that. She was a mentor and leader to many. Elizabeth was a board member of the Young Survival Coalition offering awareness and support to young women diagnosed with breast cancer. She championed her team of doctors and spoke in support of their work. She met cancer's challenge and fought for 11 years, continuing to live life to the fullest, always seeking out new experiences and enjoying all the beauty of life. Her cancer did not define her, and all who knew her were in awe of her strength and determination. A word heard many times over that best describes her-- "amazing." Elizabeth's ashes will be scattered at a later date at Martha's Vineyard where a memorial bench will be erected as a reminder of her love for this special place. A celebration of her life will be held in New York City in October in honor of her birthday and her incredible life's journey. The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, May 15, 2014 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Tebbutt Funeral Home, 633 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12206. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to NYU Langone Medical Center to support the NYU Clinical Cancer Center for breast cancer research under the direction of Dr. Richard Shapiro giving.nyumc.org/ci or mail to Jeff Hudson, NYULMC Office of Development, One Park Avenue, 17th Floor, NY, NY 10016. Friends, family, and all those she touched are invited to contribute to a book of special memories, "The Life of Elizabeth G. Danes", to be compiled in time for her October celebration. To express online condolences, please visit sbfuneralhome.com.